CULTURAL BACKGROUND

My name is Ginna Ma, I was born in Cartagena, Colombia and have lived in the United States since I was 12 years old, thus developing English and Spanish as a native tongue.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

My background is in office administration and human resources in the manufacturing field. I have worked with small and large businesses, and in each job and industry, my Spanish skills have been an asset. Starting out as a receptionist, my experience and responsibilities expanded over time. I served as Administrative Assistant, Human Resources Assistant, to Office Manager. I eventually branched out to focus on translation full-time and became self-employed.

Thanks to my work in the industrial and manufacturing fields I learned about safety measures, their necessities, as well as zero waste, and the importance of productivity for these industries. Most importantly, I realized that if all employees did not understand these rules and policies, productivity and safety will be at risk.  With management approval, I took on the responsibility of translating every communication for existing and new employees, as well as ensuring that all our meetings and trainings became bilingual. During this time employee morale and engagement increased, turnover decreased, and we began to attract more applicants.

TRANSLATION EXPERIENCE

In 2005 I started a side freelance business, Giraldo Translating Services, where I focused on small translation projects. Some of these include the translation of a Christian book, business letters, documents, marketing material, website content. I also engaged in volunteer work at my local church as a simultaneous interpreter during services. 

In 2010 I branched out and became a full-time translator. I work as an independent contractor/translator for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. As such, contracts are annually reviewed and renewed based on competency and proficiency.

Testing:

To achieve this, translators must pass the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) proficiency test which consists of a battery of test focused on writing, speaking, listening, and reading for translation performance.

"An individual’s translation performance level depends on:
1) command of two languages,
2) ability to exercise congruity judgment and apply a translation methodology,
3) familiarity with the cultural context of both languages,
4) knowledge of terminology in specialized fields, and
5) ability to finalize the product within time constraints and according to specifications."

For more information about the Interagency Language Roundtable visit: http://www.govtilr.org/Skills/AdoptedILRTranslationGuidelines.htm

In 2015 my family relocated from Virginia to California where my existing government contract has allowed me to continue to serve not just locally but nationwide. You can learn more about my experience under my resume.

CONTEXT IN TRANSLATION

In 2016, Context in Translation was born. After working exclusively as a translator with the government, I decided to diversify my workload and extend my services again to the private field. Some of my recent projects include an employee manual for a manufacturing company, a Christian book, a book on military and politics, articles, and more.

I may be the soul of Context in Translation but it does not mean I work alone. In order to deliver quality work, I team up with trusted translators who do the proofreading and final edits. A second pair of eyes is always recommended to ensure nothing was missed. 

In addition, thanks to my network of professional and trusted translators I can help you achieve your multilingual projects. I may only focus on Spanish and English, but I have many colleagues who service different language pairs and specializations. 

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

I am a member of the American Translators Association (ATA) and the Association of Translators and Interpreters in the San Diego Area (ATISDA).